Chapter 18 Test

Question 1

Public policy

Answer 1

plans adopted by the government to handle problems and accomplish goals

Question 2

Public opinion

Answer 2

The opinion of the general public, often unreliable, because citizens change their views all the time

Question 3

Liberalism

Answer 3

policies that favor government action and government expansion

Question 4

Conservatism

Answer 4

Reluctance to expand government authority, especially if it de-emphasizes individual responsibility

Question 5

Moderates

Answer 5

Favor the middle ground between conservative and liberal positions

Question 6

Domestic policy

Answer 6

Involves economics, law, education, health, energy, environment and civil liberties within the nation’s borders

Question 7

Foreign policy

Answer 7

Includes diplomacy, trade relations, war, and other matters involving our relationship with other countries

Question 8

Agenda

Answer 8

The issues the government decides to address in order of importance

Question 9

The most important influence on public opinion is…

Answer 9

The FAMILY…followed by peers, events, media, institution, and scripture

Question 10

How do you measure public opinion?

Answer 10

Polls and surveys

Question 11

Opinion polls

Answer 11

Surveys of what the public thinks about particular subjects

Question 12

Who created/what was the first scientific poll?

Answer 12

George Gallup/ Gallup polls

Question 13

Representative sample

Answer 13

scientific average of polls

Question 14

Straw polls

Answer 14

Informal polls/do not attempt to use valid sampling techniques

Question 15

Interest group

Answer 15

Pressure groups: organizations/groups of citizens that try to influence government officials about a political issue or group of issues. Not a political party because it is focused on one issue.

Question 16

Labor Unions

Answer 16

Economic interest groups/workers that seek economic benefits and better working conditions for their members

Question 17

AFL-CIO

Answer 17

Largest labor organization in America

Question 18

NRA

Answer 18

(National Rifle Association) supports gun rights, promotes gun safety, and opposes most gun control legislation

Question 19

Single Issue Interest Groups

Answer 19

Groups concerned with a singular issue

Question 20

Lobbying

Answer 20

The attempt to influence public officials to support a special interest

Question 21

PAC

Answer 21

(Political Action Committees) Works on behalf of candidates whom the groups deem favorable to their goals.

Question 22

ACLU
(American Civil Liberties Union)

Answer 22

Advocates positions in court cases important to their cause

Question 23

Amicus Curiae

Answer 23

(“friend of the court”) people can write to support or go against a position to try and influence the court’s decision

Question 24

Mass Media

Answer 24

the main means of mass communication, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, internet, and social media, considered collectively.

Question 25

C-SPAN

Answer 25

A public-service network created by the American cable-television industry that covers politics

Question 26

Prior Restraint Law

Answer 26

The government cannot review and censor information before it is presented to the public. Only exception: wartime

Question 27

FOIA

Answer 27

(Freedom of Information Act) gives the media broad powers to investigate the federal bureaucracy’s files

Question 28

Shield Laws

Answer 28

Freedom of confidentiality/protection while withholding information revealed by secret sources. Not legal at the federal level, but in multiple states.

Question 29

Libel/Slander

Answer 29

Libel: PUBLISHED false statements that injure one’s reputation
Slander: ORAL communication that does the same
Limited under the First Amendment

Question 30

Obscenity

Answer 30

Socially offensive communication
NOT protected under the First Amendment

Question 31

FCC

Answer 31

(Federal Communications Commission) licenses and regulates American radio and television stations

Question 32

Propaganda

Answer 32

The use of various techniques to select and manipulate information to persuade or influence people effectively